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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The manor house of Vermondie and its leaning tower form an architectural complex located in Thonac, Dordogne, near the Vézère and the Lascaux cave. The tower, of Gallo-Roman origin, has been classified as a historical monument since 1941. It has a remarkable inclination, probably caused by underground excavations, and once served as a Roman signalling tower. Its unusual appearance and its lack of access door fed local legends, such as that of separated lovers whose sighs would have tilted the tower to bring them together.

The adjacent manor house, of uncertain origin but showing traces of modifications since the 12th century, may have been a Gallo-Roman military fort over the centuries. Its undergrounds, partially collapsed, suggest defensive use or a counter-attack function in the event of a siege. Some architectural elements, such as carved coats of arms representing a cross and a tower, evoke possible occupation by a religious order, perhaps the Templars. The site, very visible thanks to its tower, could also have served as a stopover for the pilgrims of Santiago de Compostela.

In August 2023, lightning damaged one of the manor's twin towers, destroying about 50 m2 of roof. Historically, the mansion was the centre of a vast seigneurial estate controlling land up to Fanlac, including the castles of Auberoche and Sablou. Its strategic importance and architectural evolution reflect the political and social transformations of the Dordogne through the ages.

The lean tower, about 20 metres high, has only one curved opening at half height. Its typical architecture of Roman signaling towers makes it a rare testimony of Gallo-Roman occupation in the region. The manor undergrounds, dug in the rock, reinforce the hypothesis of a military origin, although their exact use (defensive, religious or logistical) remains debated. The local legend and the enigmatic aspect of the site make it a major tourist curiosity of the Périgord.

The mansion and its tower illustrate the superposition of the epochs: a Gallo-Roman structure reinvested in the Middle Ages, then transformed until the modern era. Blazons and architectural changes attest to its central role in the local seigneury, while its proximity to prehistoric sites such as Lascaux raises questions about the continuity of occupation of the territory since Antiquity.

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